Attachment for windshield wipers



Feb. 20, 1940. M N Re; 21,367

ATTACHMENT FOR WINDSHIELD WIPERS Original Filed Sept. 30, 1937 I INVEN Maunoehfg an,

ATT O RNEYS Reissued Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE Maurice L. Ryan, St. Paul, Minn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, toTrico Products Corporation, a corporation of New York Original No. 2,141,023, dated December'20, 1938,

Serial No. 166,549, September 30, 1937.' Application for reissue November 16, 1939, Serial 6 Claims. (Cl. 15250) It is my object to provide a novel device adapted to be quickly and easilyattached to a windshield wiper blade for applying an anti-freeze solution continuously during the periods when it is necessary or desirable to remove sleet, snow,

frost and the like from the windshield.

, The windshield wipers in common use efliciently remove moisture at temperatures substantially above the freezing point of water but are ineffectual at and somewhat below the freezing point; The device of this invention is adapted to absorb an unusually large supply of ,antifreeze composition or solution and may be quickly and easily attached to an ordinary windshield 16 wiper blade so that the latter is made effective to melt and remove the adhering particles of frozen moisture continuously over a considerable period of time.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates my device attached to a windshield wiper of common type;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device detached from the wiper;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a wiper blade of one of the types to which my device may be attached.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indiso cates the body of my device which is constructed from a narrow and relatively long strip of absorbent material, such as a felt or textile fabric. This strip is folded upon itself along its longitudinal center line and is formed into a sleeve 35 adapted to completely envelope a windshield wiper blade indicated by the numeral 4. Both ends of thesleeve-like body 5 are closed as by the stitches 6 and centrally, at one longitudinal edge, an opening I is provided to receive an attaching 4 device 8 for the wiper operating arm 9 (Fig. 1). At one side of the central opening 1, the body 5 is closed by stitches I0 and at the other side there is an elongated opening ll adapted to be closed by snap fasteners I2.

45 When weather conditions are such that the use of the device is desirable, the flexible body 5 is preferably rolled uponitself longitudinally to,

form a compact, substantially cylindrical roll and a suitable quantity of an anti-freeze liquid, such 50 as a mixture of glycerine, alcohol and water is applied to the roll. Thus the entire member 5 is thoroughly moistened or impregnated and then after inserting one end of the blade 4 into the body 5, parallel to the stitches ID, the other end 55 of the blade may be passed in through the opening II and the device securely attached to the blade by engaging the fasteners l2. It will be understood that the blade 4 need not be removed from the arm 9 for the attachment of my device and the operation of applying the anti-freeze substance to the body 5 and latter to the blade may be quickly performed by operators entirely unskilled in mechanical matters.

When my device is in place onthe wiper blade the latter is completely enveloped in the absorbl0 ent sleeve which is of such size and extent as to carry sufficient anti-freeze solution to operate effectively for a period of several hours. The anti-freeze solution is gradually applied to the Windshield surface from the smooth, folded edge 5 of the body 5 and continuously reduces the frozen particles to a liquid which is readily wiped from the surface.

When not required, my device may be quickly and easily removed from the wiper blade and the 20 latter may be used separately. The device has the further advantage of simplicity and low cost and experience has shown that it is unusually effective.

Having described my invention, what I claim 25 as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An attachment for a windshield wiper blade comprising, a sleeve formed entirely from flexible, absorbent material adapted to envelope said blade and having anopening along one edge permitting the insertion of the blade into said sleeve and means for closing said opening, said sleeve being adapted to be rolled longitudinally on itself to receive a charge of liquid anti-freeze composition.

2. An attachment for a windshield wiper blade comprising, a long, narrow, absorbent and flexible sleeve formed to completely envelope said blade, said sleeve being closed at its ends and having an opening along one edge permitting the 40 insertion of the bladeinto the sleeve and means for closing said opening.

3. An attachment for a windshield wiper blade comprising, an absorbent, flexible sleeve formed to completely envelope said blade, having an opening centrally located at one edge to receive an arm for operating said blade and formed with a continuation of said opening extending toward an end to permit the insertion of the blade into the sleeve and means for closing the continuation o of said opening.

4. An attachment for a windshield wiper blade comprising a tubular sleeve formed entirely from flexible, absorbent material adapted to completely envelope said blade and having an opening per- 5 mitting the insertion of the blade lengthwise into the sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to be rolled longitudinally on itself to receive a charge of liq-' uid anti-freeze composition and having a portion permanently closed across its back for the blade to engage beneath by such lengthwise insertion.

5. An attachment for a windshield wiperblade 'having an arm connecting device projecting from its back, comprising a tubular body formed entirely from flexible absorbent material and opened at one end portion for the insertion of the blade lengthwise into the opposite end portion to completely enclose the blade, said body being adapted to be flexed throughout to receive a charge of liquid cleaning composition and hav-.

ing an opening in its back through which the arm connecting device interlockingly projects.

6. An attachment for a windshield wiper blade having a device projecting from its back for connecting the wiper blade to an actuating arm, said attachment comprising a tubular body of flexible absorbent material adapted to envelope the blade completely thereabout, the closed portion of the envelope across the back of the blade bein formed with an opening for exposing the connecting device, said body being substantially wholly flexible throughout for being flexed upon itself toreceive a charge of liquid anti-freeze composition.

' MAURICE L. RYAN. 

